A Fresh Challenge: Launching Digest Forte in Belgium
Earlier this year, UPSA launched a new product they wanted to launch on the Belgium market: UPSA Digest Forte. This new product was designed to ease digestion after heavy eating or drinking. The challenge for us was clear: How could we stand out in a market where competitors are already present, and make sure our product is seen and understood. Although UPSA Digest Forte had some actual competition, we also noticed a lot of new brands claiming after epicurean consumption benefit, but a lot of those brands often rely on vague promises and unproven claims. The issue is that consumers often don’t differentiate those brands from the products that have actually been tested and for which their benefit has been proven. With our strategy, we wanted to make sure that the consumer not only knew our brand but also believed in it. Our approach is based on the fact that we need to be different, in order to be remembered.
This campaign was also a challenge in the sense that we wanted to achieve Performance through Branding: we had short term objectives, considering this was a product launch so there was a minimum amount of sellouts UPSA wanted to reach, but brand building for long term growth was definitely part of our objectives as well.
The first thing we did was a deep audience analysis of our audience: who they were, where they are spending their time, what media they are consuming, etc. We found out that our audience is mainly adults and young adults. They like to go out, play sports, enjoy time with their family and friends and eat out on a semi-regular basis. Our audience is present on various media but mostly on SoMe, Radio, TV and Streaming. They also like watching videos and vlogs.
This first analysis helped us to define where we should appear. We still had the question of when would be the moment to advertise. To answer this question, we made the assumption that consumers rarely plan to buy digestive solutions proactively, but when they feel discomfort, after a festive meal or a night out, they’re at peak receptiveness. This became the core of our approach and how we shaped our strategy.
The "Epicurean Strategy”
Our solution was to meet people exactly when they needed relief: during weekend mornings, holidays, and typical “recovery hours.” We called this the Epicurean Strategy.
Instead of generic awareness, we designed a plan around moments of vulnerability; when people were most likely to consider Digest Forte. This was about cultural relevance as much as media efficiency: making Digest Forte part of the routine after festive indulgence.
To be the most efficient in our strategy, we knew that the timing was crucial and needed to be logical: focusing on “the day after”. We were present with our media campaigns from Thursday until Sunday, in the summer and around the end of year period. We wanted to speak to our audience during the “recovery window” when discomfort is highest.
An important KPI in our strategic thinking was frequency. Because Digest Forte is a reactive, and, functional purchase (you buy it when you feel bad, not in advance), people make the decision in seconds and default to whatever brand is top-of-mind. So of course, our goal was that when people have a stomach ache, after eating a bit too much on a Thursday night, they directly think of Upsa Digest Forte. That’s why frequency is essential and carefully assessed for each of the media. We needed mental availability so the brand is the first thing they recall at the moment of need, and this is built through repeated exposure. We grow this mental availability through 3 levers:
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Repetition and frequency thanks to a consistent visibility across platforms
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Distinctiveness with an instantly recognizable creative cues like our character and sound
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Presence when needed: concentrating delivery in recovery windows so ads appear exactly when discomfort strikes
In a category crowded with look-alike products and often unsubstantiated claims, these three levers make recall and choice far more likely.
The Magic Formula: Fit for Platform
At Semetis, we believe every branding campaign needs to perform. The Magic Formula lies in being fit for the platform, designing creative and media strategies that feel natural in their environment, while maximizing attention and impact. A great creative is still the most effective way to build brand connection, and creative quality is the biggest ROI multiplier within our control, with a ROI multiplier of 12 (source: the Driver of Profitability,2023, Paul Dyson). In a world where the attention span is low, especially on Social Media, we need to make sure we are creating ads that are stopping the scroll. This principle guided the strategy of the launch of Digest Forte. Every channel, every placement, and every creative choice was optimized for its platform ensuring not just visibility, but relevance.
The creative concept, by BBDO, was bold and disruptive: a Pac-Man-like character devouring food and drinks, then crashing. This visual metaphor for overindulgence was simple, playful, and instantly relatable.
A Full Branding Plan Across Offline and Online Media Channels
The objective of this campaign was simple: sell as much UPSA Digest Forte as possible, pretty obvious for a company selling a product. However with the campaign, we didn’t want to simply focus on the launch and have a good sellout then. We wanted to build awareness around UPSA Digest Forte, to generate sales after the launch, but also long after. Our strategy did not focus on generating performance instantly, but on the long term results.
To ensure we had a plan that would fit both ST and LT goals, we developed a full-funnel plan that would focus on reach and impact, combining online and offline touchpoints. We also made sure to invest the majority of our budget on local media, to position UPSA Digest Forte as a trusted brand, in a relevant and brand safe environment . International players complemented our plan, to extend our reach and visibility.
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Digital video & BVOD were chosen for scale and storytelling on premium placements with high attention span. We were present on Local Broadcasters such as VTM Go or RTL Play, as we knew the majority of our audience watched their shows on those channels, as well as Youtube. Our campaigns were live from Thursday to Sunday, to catch our future customers when they were potentially not feeling their best: after a Thursday night with the colleagues, or a Saturday family brunch.
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DOOH near pharmacies and lifestyle hubs to increase our ad recall not only for the consumer, but also directly for the pharmacist. They are one of our key stakeholders, being the ones that will present our product as a solution, or not
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F2F activation to build a brand connection in the most intimate moment: the toilets. We were present nationally in the HORECA environment and also had a dedicated wave during summer on the Belgian coast. Always with the idea to be present in a context where you would need our product.
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Influence partnerships to build credibility and lifestyle relevance. Working with content creators allowed us to bring the product and our message to our audience with a different tone of voice, in a more seamless way and creating content that the audience trusts.
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Digital audio was added to the media mix, as it was heavily used by our audience, and is a great tactical medium. It was an extra touchpoint to the digital video, to drive incremental reach and ad recall. Thanks to our 15s audio developed specifically for this, we grabbed the attention of our future customers with a memorable ad.
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Last but not least, Social media had to be a part of our media planning due to its heavy usage and relevance for this specific product. Although this media can be seen as a low attention platform, it’s only an issue if you don’t work on your creativity and your frequency. Thanks to our eye-catching pac-man-like creative, our video exceeded all our expectations in terms of view rate.
Proof That Branding Can Perform
The launch of Digest Forte demonstrates that performance and branding are not mutually exclusive but they are complementary forces. When a campaign is insight-driven, platform-fit, and creatively distinctive, it doesn’t just build awareness but drives results.
The campaign not only exceeded all marketing KPIs, with view-through rates and engagement levels well above benchmark, but the business results also confirmed the strength of our strategy. We recorded a net increase in sales, and UPSA Digest Forte gained 1.7 percentage points of market share in the digestive category when comparing the post-campaign period to the pre-campaign baseline.
By combining data, creativity, and precise media execution, we proved that a 100% branding campaign can deliver measurable business outcomes. The key lies in understanding how people behave, what moments matter, and how to show up with the right message, on the right platform, at the right time.
At Semetis, we believe that every campaign, whether branding or performance-oriented, should contribute to long-term growth. Our work with UPSA Digest Forte is a clear example of this philosophy in action: a campaign that performed in the short term, built the brand for the future by winning market shares, and showed that brand equity and business performance grow stronger together.
Astrid Mérenne
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